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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: bass · sharp · fan · race · capital · cabinet · content · safe

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. race — the arms race
  5. content — the amount
  6. race — a contest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a city
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the instrument

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