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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitch — completely
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. shower — to wash
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — an explosive

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