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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — boats
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — completely
  24. nail — for a hammer

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