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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — a sports field

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