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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · safe · capital · rule · perch · row · rash · fine

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. capital — a city
  13. rash — hasty
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. perch — the fish
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rule — government
  19. row — to paddle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — all right
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rash — on the skin

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