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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — a subject
  10. drill — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — for a lock
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. safe — a strongbox

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