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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — a container
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spell — letters
  19. content — happy
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — magic

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