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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.

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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: pitcher · lie · trunk · can · season · chip · bore · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — of the year
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. capital — money
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. can — a tin

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