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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — hasty
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — bread
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — of a river
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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