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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — shares
  6. capital — a city
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. capital — money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. clip — to cut
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — a video
  20. pit — in a race
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stock — goods
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. board — to get on

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