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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stand — to bear
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. season — of the year
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. club — for golf
  10. season — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. content — the amount
  17. club — a group
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — happy

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