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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stand — on your feet

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