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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: club · capital · degree · safe · current · firm · lie · rest

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — happening now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — steady
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — from a university
  14. current — of water
  15. club — a group
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — decided
  18. degree — temperature
  19. capital — money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — a company

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