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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. capital — a city
  11. court — of law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. capital — money
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — for sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of a king
  24. lie — an untruth

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