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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stock — goods
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for golf
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — shares
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — final
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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