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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 116 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: safe · wound · capital · court · can · stick · fall · bore

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. capital — money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — to be able to
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. court — of a king
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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