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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: present · march · bowl · safe · capital · shower

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. capital — a city
  3. march — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. present — there
  11. shower — rain
  12. march — the month
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. capital — money

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