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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: mine · suit · lie · mouse · mug · capital · cap · ground

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ground — a position
  7. capital — money
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a face
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. capital — a city
  24. cap — a hat

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