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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: capital · kid · row · pitcher · safe · spell · mug · bank

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mug — to rob
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spell — a short time
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a face
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — a city
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — child
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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