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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a dance
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a city
  21. wind — moving air
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. object — to protest

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