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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: rock · safe · prune · patient · chip · cap · capital · season

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — to eat
  3. capital — money
  4. season — in sport
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cap — a lid
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. season — of the year
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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