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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — for betting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kid — child
  9. capital — a city
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tear — to rip
  17. kid — to tease
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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