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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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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. capital — a city
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — all right
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. net — in sport
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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