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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. present — a gift
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. present — there

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