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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: safe · march · mine · stick · stand · ground · fine · content

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — to bear
  4. march — the month
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fine — all right
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — the amount
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — happy
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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