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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: bay · capital · fan · fine · deal · roll · cabinet · safe

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. roll — a list
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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