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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mark — a grade
  8. court — for sport
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. file — a tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — money
  14. court — of law
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — a city
  18. mark — a trace
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of a king

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