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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — clever
  5. can — to be able to
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — newspapers
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — boats
  14. swing — in golf
  15. capital — a city
  16. press — a publisher
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. capital — a big letter

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