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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: can · capital · suit · safe · ball · squash · wound · bat

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — money
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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