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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — clothes
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — certain
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bound — tied together
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — obliged
  20. capital — a city
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. land — a country

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