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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. deal — to handle
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — high quality

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