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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a path
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — for baseball

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