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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — high quality
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — money
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. capital — a city
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — all right
  15. race — humankind
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — size or range
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. race — a contest
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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