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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: present · pass · pop · court · capital · safe · wave · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. present — a gift
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — soda
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pop — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — the time now
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pop — to visit
  19. present — there
  20. capital — a city
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of law
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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