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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ground — a position

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