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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fine — high quality
  4. capital — a city
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — all right
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. safe — out of danger

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