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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. scale — size or range
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. safe — a strongbox

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