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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — to handle
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. capital — money
  11. spell — magic
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. game — a match
  20. toast — bread
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — a city
  24. spell — a short time

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