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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: wave · sharp · rock · pound · capital · safe · date · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. date — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bulb — for light
  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