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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — to sink
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. game — a match
  21. net — for catching
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. dip — to dunk

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