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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: capital · mark · scale · safe · pound · toast

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mark — a grade
  4. toast — bread
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — in music
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — a trace
  17. capital — money
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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