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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: suit · mug · pit · ground · tube · can · leaves · capital

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — a face
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tube — the underground
  22. suit — in cards
  23. can — to be able to
  24. leaves — to go away

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