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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 120 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: cabinet · mate · sharp · safe · pit · current · wax · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. current — of water
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — a hole
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a city
  24. wax — in the ear

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