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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: ball · capital · pit · rush · toast · safe · pop · scale

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pop — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — size or range
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. toast — bread
  12. scale — in music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — soda

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