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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pound — a weight
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kid — to tease
  13. capital — money
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. kid — child

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