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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — money
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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