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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bound — certain
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. capital — a city
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a line
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — on a finger

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