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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — music
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — soda
  8. capital — a city
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — after costs
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bound — certain
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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