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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — low music

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