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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: capital · rush · safe · pitcher · lash · stand · fine · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — money
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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