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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: drill · sharp · squash · bore · staff · deal · capital · spell

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — a short time
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spell — letters
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — the vegetable

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