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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. snap — to click
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a city
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — to be able to
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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