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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. suit — clothes
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. date — the fruit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. snap — to click

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