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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: deal · can · bowl · game · leaves · tear · capital · stick

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — wild animals
  11. capital — money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. game — a match
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a city
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tear — to rip

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