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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — to come down
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — a country
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. land — ground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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