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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.

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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: spring · land · pit · safe · capital · perch · cabinet · stand

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — the season
  9. land — a country
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — to come down
  17. capital — money
  18. land — ground
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. capital — a city
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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