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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rash — a series
  5. field — farmland
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. field — for sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. capital — money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. hand — in cards
  23. field — a subject
  24. rash — on the skin

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