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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. suit — clothes
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tube — a container
  9. capital — a city
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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