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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — farmland
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. capital — a city
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. capital — money
  10. last — finally
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. field — a subject
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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