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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — a lid
  5. race — humankind
  6. pass — a permit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — ground
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. snap — to click
  15. land — to come down
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a hat
  18. race — a contest
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — to hit hard

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