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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a dance
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — a face
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mug — to rob
  19. capital — money
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — a cup
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rest — a break

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