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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 124 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. band — a music group
  13. capital — a city
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wind — moving air

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