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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. face — to confront
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. face — part of the head
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — a city
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. face — to point toward

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