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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: capital · safe · court · cabinet · kick · spell · bulb · saw

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — for sport
  5. capital — money
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. court — of a king
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — a thrill

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