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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · mug · capital · stick · deal · race

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mug — to rob
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup

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