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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 120 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: bowl · safe · fork · cabinet · suit · shower · capital · mate

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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