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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — music
  17. capital — a city
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fine — all right
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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