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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cue — a signal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — a hint
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. capital — a city

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