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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 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to confront
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — a penalty

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