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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a face
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — a cup
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — hasty
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — a series
  19. capital — a city
  20. mug — to rob
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. root — of a plant
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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