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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kid — child
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — a city
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — a loud noise

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