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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. capital — a city
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — newspapers
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — steady
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — decided
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. press — a publisher

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