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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: pound · club · can · band · toast · chair · safe · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pound — a weight
  7. toast — bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. club — for golf
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — a group
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pound — for dogs

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