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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. capital — money
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. row — a line
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — the season
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — a city
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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