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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: can · season · capital · race · fine · cap · perch · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — all right
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — the fish
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — high quality
  17. capital — a city
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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