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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · drill · safe · net · court · cap · row · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. drill — the tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a ring
  15. court — for sport
  16. row — a line
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. row — to paddle
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — after costs
  23. court — of law
  24. cap — of ice

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