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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — a country
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a city
  24. straw — dry grass

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