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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bound — obliged
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — a lid
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — hurry
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cap — a hat

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