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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 · capital · pop · pitcher · chip · lie · plane · lean

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — money
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pop — to visit

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