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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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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: hide · ground · can · spell · date · stick · tube · capital

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — magic
  3. capital — money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ground — a position
  10. capital — a city
  11. tube — the underground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — letters

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