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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. capital — a city
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — to get on
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a ring
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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