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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: mug · nail · capital · spell · firm · kid · bowl · present

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — the time now
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. firm — a company
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — money
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kid — to tease
  17. capital — a city
  18. present — there
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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