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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — money
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a city
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spell — magic
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — for pool

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