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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. court — of law
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. court — of a king
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mark — a trace
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group

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