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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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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: wind · object · capital · safe · toast · cue · content · suit

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — a thing
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — to fit
  10. object — an aim
  11. toast — bread
  12. content — happy
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. capital — a city
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cue — a hint

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