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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 · stick · ball · present · nail · kid · rash · capital

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — money
  4. kid — to tease
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a dance
  7. capital — a city
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — the time now
  21. suit — clothes
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kid — child
  24. nail — for a hammer

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