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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. court — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. court — of law
  22. bass — low music
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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