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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: safe · sharp · firm · capital · rest · cue · current · mouse

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. firm — a company
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — steady
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. firm — decided
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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