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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — a company
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — there
  10. firm — steady
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — a city
  16. present — a gift
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. present — the time now

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