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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — a city
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. capital — a big letter

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