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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · spell · mark · foot · rock · row · tube · court

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — music
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spell — letters
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spell — a short time
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — for sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — a grade
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com