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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a city
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a song
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. capital — money
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a big letter

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