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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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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: jam · squash · scale · capital · firm · rule · safe · tear

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — decided
  15. capital — money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — size or range
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — steady
  24. squash — the sport

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