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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — in a road
  4. charge — in control
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — help
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — money

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