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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chip — for betting
  24. jam — a tight spot

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