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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · bank · bowl · pop · capital · perch · plane · pound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — the fish
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pop — music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pop — soda
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — in sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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