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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — a city
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — for light

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