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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — money
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of a king
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for golf
  17. court — of law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — for sport
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. land — a country
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — a big letter

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