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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — for dancing
  6. capital — a city
  7. scale — size or range
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — there
  21. club — for golf
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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