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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: mouse · spring · pitcher · sharp · capital · cap · tube · safe

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spring — a coil
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — the season
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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