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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a ring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. object — to protest
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. object — a thing
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — finally
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — an aim

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