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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: can · rush · firm · fork · cold · capital · object · deal

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — to handle
  21. can — to be able to
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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