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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · straw · pitcher · pit · safe · bulb · rock · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — a city
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rock — a stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — in a race
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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