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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a trace
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — a company
  11. track — a path
  12. capital — a city
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. capital — money
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — of a king
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. court — of law
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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