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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.

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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: content · bark · pit · bay · bound · temple · capital · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — the amount
  12. bark — to shout
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. capital — money
  17. content — happy
  18. bound — obliged
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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