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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — to protest
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — a company
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. firm — decided
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — steady
  24. tube — in a tire

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