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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. capital — a city
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — money
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — to handle
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rock — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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