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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: safe · sharp · ball · mug · patient · band · chip · pop

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. band — a ring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mug — a face
  24. patient — a sick person

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