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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — a match
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ground — a position

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