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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: cell · march · staff · safe · rash · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in biology
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — a series
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cell — a phone
  12. march — music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. march — the month
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. staff — a stick

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