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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · fan · fine · band · trunk · foot · mark · key

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a ring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — high quality

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