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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. land — a country
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. drill — army training
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. drill — a practice
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. snap — to click
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. capital — a city
  20. land — to come down
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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