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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · rash · pit · mouse · capital · snap · mine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — decided
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — a company
  8. rash — a series
  9. pit — in a race
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. capital — money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to click

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