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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: mate · capital · safe · swing · pass · race

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. swing — in golf
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — money
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pass — a permit
  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