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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: stick · capital · kid · safe · march · craft

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. march — music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — child
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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