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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: root · bulb · jam · mark · capital · fall · cap · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. root — the cause
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bulb — for light
  6. capital — money
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. mark — a grade
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — a trace
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — of ice

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