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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — in football
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — a cake
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a list
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cell — a phone
  16. craft — a skill
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cell — in biology
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — in music
  24. craft — boats

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