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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kick — in football
  3. capital — a city
  4. mark — a trace
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. capital — money
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — a big letter

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