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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — to handle
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. capital — a city
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. charge — a price
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — a big deal

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