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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — for catching
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rule — government
  6. key — the most important part
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — for a lock
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — after costs

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