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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. race — humankind
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — money
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — in football
  18. present — there
  19. race — a contest
  20. present — the time now
  21. race — the arms race
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fine — all right

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