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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — to push
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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