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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fine — all right
  20. deal — to handle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kick — in football

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