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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — a container
  5. march — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. content — happy
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — for catching
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — belonging to me

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