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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: land · straw · kid · safe · firm · capital · ball · bay

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. firm — steady
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. capital — money
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a great time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. land — to come down
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — a country
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. firm — decided

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