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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 120 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: drill · fine · can · mate · dip · hide · capital · content

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to sink
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — the amount
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — happy
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. drill — army training

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