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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — shares
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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