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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: safe · key · band · pound · file · capital · rash · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. band — a music group
  15. file — a document
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — in music
  18. pound — a weight
  19. file — a tool
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a ring
  24. pound — to hit hard

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