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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — for catching
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — to be able to
  10. track — a song
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cell — a phone
  13. track — a path
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fall — the season

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