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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. race — humankind
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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