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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitch — completely
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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