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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 · mate · stand · capital · firm · spell · board · coach

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. mate — to breed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — steady
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — letters
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. safe — a strongbox

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