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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — of ice
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a hat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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