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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. capital — money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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