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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a song
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — after costs
  13. court — of law
  14. net — for catching
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. branch — a division
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — for sport

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