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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · rest · rock · capital · safe · ball · object · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — to protest
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rock — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. capital — money
  12. object — an aim
  13. firm — steady
  14. capital — a city
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rock — a stone
  20. firm — decided
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — a thing

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