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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: bank · fine · foot · content · safe · mine · pitch · shower

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. shower — to wash
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — belonging to me

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