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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.

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: pit · calf · snap · mine · capital · suit · fine · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — all right
  5. capital — money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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