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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — in sport
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. craft — boats
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. capital — a city
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — money
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — of the year
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — magic
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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