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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mug — a face
  6. march — music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — a cup
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — money
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mug — to rob
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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