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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 112 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — a video
  6. capital — a city
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — to sink
  9. firm — decided
  10. capital — money
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. club — for golf
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — to tease
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — child
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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