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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — a face
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — to rob
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — the fish
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. kid — child
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stand — on your feet

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