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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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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: firm · kid · rock · safe · track · fine · last · pound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kid — to tease
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — child
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — all right
  17. last — final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — music
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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