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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. can — to be able to
  4. capital — money
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — to crush
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chip — in a computer

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