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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. band — a music group
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a city
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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