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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — to play on
  6. track — a path
  7. scale — size or range
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — of a river
  15. key — the most important part
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — in music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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