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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: land · sharp · rock · band · kick · pop · saw · fine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a music group
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — all right
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — to come down
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — high quality

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