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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: prune · capital · wave · suit · chip · bore · safe · perch

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — money
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — to tire
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a city
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — to drill
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — to fit
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — with your hand

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