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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — music
  7. rock — music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. march — the month
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — a city
  17. rash — hasty
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rash — a series
  20. march — the month
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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