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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — money
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a city
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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