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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. last — final
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. deal — to handle
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — for golf
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. club — a group
  21. court — of a king
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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