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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. capital — money
  6. bass — the fish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. land — a country
  12. dip — to sink
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bass — low music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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