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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 124 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 · pit · safe · hand · net · present · foot · tear

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — for catching
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — in sport
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — help
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — after costs
  23. pit — in a race
  24. band — a rubber band

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