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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — thin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — goods
  19. court — of law
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for golf
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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