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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — in cards
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. field — farmland
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — a match
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a city
  24. field — for sport

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