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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: foot · capital · deal · can · rash · firm · jam · spring

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — money
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. firm — steady
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — decided

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