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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. firm — steady
  4. capital — a city
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a hole
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — tied together
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. spring — of water
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — decided
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — in a race
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — a trail

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