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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: plane · safe · drill · wake · pop · cap · pound · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. march — music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. drill — army training
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pop — soda

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