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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. capital — money
  6. board — to get on
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — to trim
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — clothes
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. march — the month
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. prune — to trim

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