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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a city
  17. date — the fruit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. season — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. coach — a trainer

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