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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — for golf
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — out of danger

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