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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. capital — money
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — to be able to
  24. firm — a company

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