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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — child
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — a cup

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