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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 120 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a city
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spell — magic

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