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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: craft · safe · board · capital · rash · land · rule · scale

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. land — to come down
  5. capital — a city
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. capital — money
  12. land — ground
  13. rule — a law
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — a committee
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. safe — a strongbox

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