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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. current — happening now
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. face — to confront
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — money
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — a city
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — electric
  23. chip — for betting
  24. face — to point toward

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