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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. capital — money
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — bread
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to click
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — the fruit
  24. capital — a big letter

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