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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. capital — a city
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — a trace
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — the amount
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — a grade

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