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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — a container
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. hand — in cards
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. hand — help
  24. capital — a big letter

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