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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: fine · firm · spell · pit · shower · capital · mouse · pound

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — rain
  10. capital — a city
  11. fine — high quality
  12. firm — a company
  13. capital — money
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mouse — for a computer

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