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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — a publisher
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. press — to push
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. file — a tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — a contest
  22. capital — money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — all right

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