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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: saw · capital · board · content · dip · bat · safe · key

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. key — the most important part
  20. content — the amount
  21. board — to get on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — money

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