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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. roll — a cake
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fine — high quality
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tube — a container

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