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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. land — a country
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — high quality
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — happy
  18. capital — a city
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fine — all right
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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