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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. capital — money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a city
  24. squash — the vegetable

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