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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 116 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 · safe · bank · pound · content · ground · sharp · bore

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. content — happy
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — crushed
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — for catching
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — the earth

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