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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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468
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 · pop · capital · safe · season · race · object · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — an aim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — to protest
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — humankind
  16. object — a thing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — in sport
  21. capital — a city
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. safe — out of danger

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