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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: kick · staff · toast · safe · racket · capital · stand · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — in football
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — bread
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — money

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