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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: pop · capital · content · mug · lie · deal · hand · dip

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pop — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. content — the amount
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — to visit
  11. capital — a city
  12. content — happy
  13. capital — money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hand — help
  19. dip — to sink
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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