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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a city
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a grade
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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