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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. shower — rain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — a measure
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. game — a match
  16. toast — bread
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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