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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: safe · bat · bulb · ruler · calf · capital · racket · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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