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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. swing — to play on
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — in golf
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — a skill
  17. current — happening now
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. swing — music
  23. current — of water
  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