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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: band · lean · fan · pitcher · fine · safe · mate · pound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — a weight
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — all right

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