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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: safe · straw · cue · suit · capital · court · object · snap

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a city
  5. object — a thing
  6. court — for sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — a signal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. court — of law
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. object — an aim
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cue — a hint
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. court — of a king
  23. object — to protest
  24. safe — a strongbox

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