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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — to breed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — to eat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cap — a hat
  19. capital — money
  20. row — a line
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — to paddle
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mate — a friend

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