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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. firm — steady
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — an aim
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. object — to protest

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