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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: safe · capital · snap · season · ground · stick · chair · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. snap — to click
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. capital — a city
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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