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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — goods
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. club — for golf
  18. capital — money
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — shares
  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