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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a city
  7. object — to protest
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — a thing
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. capital — money
  18. drill — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — happy
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — the amount

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