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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a list
  6. capital — a city
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — a short time
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — magic
  13. press — to push
  14. fork — in a road
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — letters
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a dance
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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