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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. capital — money
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pound — a weight
  14. drill — army training
  15. capital — a city
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. saw — the tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pound — for dogs

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