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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a skill
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rash — a series
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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