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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — to come down
  7. capital — money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. land — a country
  13. charge — in control
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — a signal

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