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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — a phone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. game — a match
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cell — in biology
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — in a prison

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