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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. capital — money
  23. mouse — the animal
  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