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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — an agreement

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