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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
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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: saw · lean · safe · capital · march · toast · jam · degree

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — an amount
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — thin
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — bread

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