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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. object — a thing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lean — to bend
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — the sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — a city
  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