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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — of ice
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mark — a grade
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cap — a hat
  13. shower — to wash
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — to paddle
  18. shower — rain
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. capital — money
  24. safe — a strongbox

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