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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — a signal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. content — the amount
  12. drill — army training
  13. cue — for pool
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bank — of a river
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  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