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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: cabinet · march · track · fall · safe · cell · capital · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — a path
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — the season
  20. root — of a word
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — music

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