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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the fish
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — of a king
  7. bass — low music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — in cards
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — bread
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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