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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
468
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: clip · capital · cue · field · temple · can · safe · rash

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — for sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cue — a hint
  8. field — a subject
  9. can — a tin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — a series
  18. field — farmland
  19. clip — a video
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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