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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. land — ground
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. row — a line
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — a city
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — to come down

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