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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — there
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. present — the time now
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — the fish
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — a gift
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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