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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a city
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. capital — money

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