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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. capital — a city
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — an aim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to click
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — a thing
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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