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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · press · ball · capital · safe · charge · calf · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — a publisher
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a great time

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