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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a grade
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bat — the animal

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