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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — to keep track
  4. capital — money
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. track — a path
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a city
  18. firm — decided
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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