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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — a city
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. wax — to grow
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — in a race

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