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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: board · capital · rash · present · safe · temple · ground · pitcher

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. ground — crushed
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — a series
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — a position
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — the earth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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