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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: charge · pop · craft · date · hand · band · jam · safe

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. charge — in control
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — a price
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. charge — electricity
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a ring

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