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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: board · can · hand · safe · capital · land · ground · foot

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — to get on
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hand — help
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — the earth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — money
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. board — a flat piece

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