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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — not warm
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. roll — a list
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — money

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