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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a leader
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — low music
  8. rule — government
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. capital — a city
  23. rule — a law
  24. can — to be able to

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