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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: last · capital · safe · mouse · spell · bound · cap · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cap — a hat
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. spell — a short time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cap — of ice
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. last — finally
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — money
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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