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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — for sport
  15. file — a tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a document
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — in music

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