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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — to fit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. date — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. capital — money
  11. roll — a list
  12. kid — child
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. capital — a city

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