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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 · date · deal · mouse · file · hand · lean · jam

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. file — a document
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — in cards
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. file — a tool
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. file — a line of people
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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