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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pit — a hole
  3. roll — a list
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — on a roll

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