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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — a city
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — 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