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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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