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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: land · safe · key · pop · season · row · fine · wake

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. key — in music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — to come down
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. season — in sport
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — a country
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — soda
  22. land — ground
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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