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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 116 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: rest · safe · bowl · pass · pound · capital · firm · board

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. capital — money
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. firm — steady
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. capital — a city
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — to get on
  19. firm — decided
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — a company
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rest — what's left

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