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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bank — for money
  23. chest — of your body
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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