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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. staff — employees
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — to rip
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. staff — a stick
  13. deal — to handle
  14. court — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. capital — money
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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