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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — steady
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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