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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. capital — a city
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. game — a match

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