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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · tube · capital · deal · spell · squash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. capital — money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a face
  6. tube — the underground
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. tube — a container
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — to rob
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — to handle
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — a short time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement

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