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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — the animal

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