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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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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: can · coach · safe · ground · squash · cap · capital · rush

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — a position
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — to crush
  24. safe — out of danger

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