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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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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 · scale · pit · mouse · bat · deal · bay · wave

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bat — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pit — in a race
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — with your hand

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