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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — in football
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. track — a path
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of a king
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — to keep track

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