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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — to breed
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — government
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — a law
  14. rock — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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