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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — money
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a line

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