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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: pop · mate · land · hide · safe · game · capital · can

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — to breed
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — ground
  23. capital — a city
  24. land — a country

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