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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: plane · calf · board · current · fine · net · safe · band

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — all right
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — a tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. band — a rubber band

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