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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. capital — money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. capital — a city
  21. charge — in control
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stock — shares

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