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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · bat · capital · rush · mark · staff · leaves · row

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a grade
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a city
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. can — to be able to
  13. staff — employees
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. capital — money
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — the animal

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