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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — in a race
  6. present — there
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pit — a hole
  11. toast — bread
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — letters
  16. swing — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — the time now
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — in golf

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