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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. drill — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — army training
  24. ruler — for measuring

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