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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a lid
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — a position
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cap — of ice
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — a hat
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ground — crushed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — soda

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