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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. capital — money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — magic
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. game — a match
  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