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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 120 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 didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to sink
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a committee
  16. field — farmland
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — a subject
  24. mine — for digging

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