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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: fine · safe · vault · race · calf · capital · perch · can

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. can — a tin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — to be able to
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. race — a contest
  24. fine — high quality

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