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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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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: mine · current · sharp · firm · band · mark · key · safe

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. firm — a company
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. band — a music group
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. firm — steady
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — in music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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