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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 120 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 · pound · cap · land · current · stick · bark · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. land — ground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — a country
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. current — of water
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — electric

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