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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: pitcher · cabinet · shower · safe · bass · mark · cue · capital

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — to wash
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — a city
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. cue — for pool

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