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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. net — for catching
  5. capital — money
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — to be able to
  17. capital — a city
  18. lie — to recline
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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