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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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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: chair · fine · safe · capital · club · pit

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — in a race
  11. capital — money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — a city

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