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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — in music
  5. present — a gift
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a city
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. present — there
  10. scale — size or range
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — money
  15. last — final
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — to get on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — for a hammer

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