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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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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: capital · saw · game · bore · pitcher · deal · season · object

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — to drill
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — in sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. object — to protest
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. capital — money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — a city
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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