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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ball — a great time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — bread
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. face — to confront

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