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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. capital — money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a document
  13. firm — steady
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — in football
  19. perch — the fish
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. perch — for a bird

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