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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. scale — in music
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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