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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. band — a ring
  5. capital — a city
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fine — all right
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — to be able to

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