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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — in sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fine — all right
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — out of danger

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