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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: foot · patient · safe · key · bulb · net · fan · band

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — for catching
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. foot — a measure
  21. net — after costs
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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