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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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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: capital · content · fork · safe · leaves · racket · lash · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — a city
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — happy
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. capital — money
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. leaves — of a tree

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