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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — a song
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — money
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a path
  24. pound — a weight

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