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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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 — money
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — a price
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. coach — a trainer
  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