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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 · fine · cue · sharp · safe · charge · bore · bat

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — high quality
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — in control
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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