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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — wild animals
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. march — music
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. game — a match
  24. content — happy

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