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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — an aim
  5. ground — a position
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — to handle
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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