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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. clip — a video
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. clip — for paper
  18. scale — size or range
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pound — a weight

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