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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cue — a signal
  9. row — a line
  10. capital — money
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cue — a hint
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — for pool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. deal — to handle
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cap — of ice

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