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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — a city
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mug — a cup
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — completely

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