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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — to confront
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spring — the season
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — clothes

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