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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — a lid
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — a trace
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cap — a hat
  21. capital — money
  22. mine — for digging
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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