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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — happy
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — all right

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