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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · spell · safe · swing · bound · firm · present · pit

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spell — letters
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — to play on
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. firm — decided
  12. present — the time now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — a gift
  17. capital — money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — there
  24. safe — out of danger

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