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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — soda
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. land — to come down
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — certain
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — of the sea

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