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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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Word bank
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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: suit · scale · land · mate · capital · bore · foot · net

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — after costs
  5. land — a country
  6. net — for catching
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. foot — a measure
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — a city
  21. land — ground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — for weighing

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