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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 116 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. rash — hasty
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — the sport
  11. land — ground
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — tied together
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — a series
  22. squash — to crush
  23. capital — money
  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