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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. capital — money
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — after costs
  12. capital — a city
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. row — to paddle
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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