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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — child
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — music
  24. foot — a measure

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