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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. capital — money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pass — a permit
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tube — a container
  24. pass — to succeed

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