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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. racket — a loud noise

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