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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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