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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — a gift
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. capital — a city
  12. club — a group
  13. present — there
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — steady
  17. face — to point toward
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. race — a contest
  21. capital — money
  22. face — to confront
  23. club — for dancing
  24. deal — a big deal

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