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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. capital — a city
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — to come from
  12. firm — steady
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a music group
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — a company
  24. saw — the tool

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