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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. club — for dancing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. club — a group
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — a city
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fine — all right
  24. mark — a trace

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