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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. current — of water
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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