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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — to crush
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — on the skin

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