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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — the underground
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — happy
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — all right
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — high quality
  17. content — the amount
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. capital — a city
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — a penalty

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