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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: net · staff · band · fine · spring · board · safe · mate

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spring — the season
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. net — in sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. net — for catching
  24. 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