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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: safe · bay · capital · jam · mug · rush · degree · chip

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — temperature
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mug — a face
  14. capital — money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. capital — a city
  24. jam — in traffic

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