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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. suit — clothes
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — final
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — to go on
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. last — finally
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. suit — to fit

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