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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — clothes
  5. press — to push
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. sharp — clever
  19. capital — a city
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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