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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 116 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: capital · saw · bass · tear · stand · safe · fine · bat

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. tear — from crying

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