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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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468
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in biology
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cell — a phone
  12. content — happy
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. capital — a city
  15. band — a ring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a document
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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