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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pop — soda
  11. capital — money
  12. object — to protest
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — a thing
  24. craft — boats

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