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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: last · date · dip · board · roll · fork · safe · capital

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. roll — a cake
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — to sink
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. date — the fruit
  8. roll — a list
  9. capital — money
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — final
  13. board — to get on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — finally
  21. capital — a city
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. last — to go on

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