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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — to tease
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — the amount
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. firm — decided
  10. toast — bread
  11. firm — a company
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. roll — a cake
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — child
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — to get on
  18. firm — steady
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. board — a flat piece

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