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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. roll — a list
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bat — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to tire
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. capital — money
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. deal — to handle

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