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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — of water
  6. capital — money
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — a hole
  9. capital — a city
  10. net — in sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. spring — the season
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — a company
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — decided
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spring — a coil

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