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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. pop — soda
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. capital — a city
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — an aim
  8. pop — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — to visit
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. capital — money
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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