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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — a division
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a city
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. capital — money
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ground — a position
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — to be able to

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