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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: fine · pitcher · mark · pound · safe · pop · kid · craft

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. safe — a strongbox

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