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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: fork · sharp · safe · fine · straw · pound · pass · fan

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fine — high quality
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — with an edge

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