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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: object · suit · land · rest · capital · sharp · arm · deal

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — an aim
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. object — to protest
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — a city
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — with an edge

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