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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — money
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. band — a ring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a list
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. net — for catching
  11. roll — a cake
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. net — after costs
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — a permit

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