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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. capital — a city
  3. drill — army training
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — of your body
  18. firm — steady
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — decided
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. chest — a box

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