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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.

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: nail · chair · squash · bay · ball · hand · bear · capital

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — money
  5. hand — help
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ball — a great time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a leader

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