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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: firm · game · capital · mate · jam · face · perch · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — a company
  7. capital — money
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — to confront
  14. mate — a partner
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — steady
  20. face — to point toward
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. deal — an agreement

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