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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 120 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: net · mine · current · row · mug · safe · band · content

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. band — a ring
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — electric
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a face
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. current — of water
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. row — a line
  21. current — happening now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a music group

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