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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — a line
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bark — to shout
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — for digging
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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