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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. swing — in golf
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — music
  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