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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 116 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 · current · pop · perch · wax · fork · capital · race

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. capital — money
  13. current — electric
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. race — a contest
  18. pop — soda
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — the fish
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. capital — a city

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