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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. firm — a company
  3. file — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. capital — money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — soda
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — music

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