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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — in music
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — finally
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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