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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — money
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. present — a gift
  9. race — humankind
  10. capital — a city
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — the arms race
  18. present — the time now
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — the fish

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