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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: pound · clip · stem · fork · fine · capital · safe · spell

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spell — letters
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. capital — a city
  10. clip — for paper
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spell — magic
  15. fine — all right
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. clip — a video
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — a garden tool

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