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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pitch — completely
  8. game — a match
  9. suit — clothes
  10. season — of the year
  11. capital — money
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. suit — to fit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — in cards
  24. game — a kind of play

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