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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — for a computer

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