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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — all right
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. capital — a city

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