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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. net — in sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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