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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — a thing
  13. fine — high quality
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. capital — a city
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. scale — in music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — what's left

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