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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: sharp · firm · charge · band · saw · mine · net · foot

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. firm — decided
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — for catching
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. foot — a measure
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — in control
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — clever
  21. firm — steady
  22. mine — for digging
  23. net — in sport
  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