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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 116 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: safe · stick · shower · pitcher · swing · capital · press · mate

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. capital — money
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — to breed
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — a city
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mate — a partner

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