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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: deal · can · capital · bay · mate · plane · fine · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — a partner
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. deal — to handle
  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