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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. net — after costs
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. net — in sport
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bat — the animal

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