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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — happening now
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — certain
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. capital — a city
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. pop — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. bound — tied together
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — to visit

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