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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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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: capital · safe · stick · rock · band · wake · bank · pound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a ring
  9. pound — a weight
  10. band — a music group
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wake — a trail

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