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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — a contest
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — humankind
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. scale — size or range

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