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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: pound · jam · plane · capital · safe · calf · chip · file

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chip — for betting
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. file — a tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chip — to eat
  19. capital — money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. file — a document

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