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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
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: bear · cabinet · net · prune · suit · capital · safe · degree

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — in sport
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — to put up with

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