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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — completely
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. swing — to play on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. court — for sport
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. court — of a king
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. firm — decided
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. racket — for tennis

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