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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — in sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. capital — money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. swing — to play on

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