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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
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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: pitcher · capital · staff · court · safe · stock · temple · straw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of law
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a city
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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