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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.

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: safe · chest · racket · bulb · mine · land · can · capital

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — for digging
  24. capital — a city

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