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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — a container
  9. capital — money
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — a weight
  22. capital — a city
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — to hit hard

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