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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — to bear
  5. root — of a word
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. capital — money
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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