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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. capital — a city
  3. game — a match
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — in music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. game — wild animals
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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