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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  3. capital — money
  4. game — a match
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — to grow
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — a city
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. charge — in control
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. capital — a big letter
  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