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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — bread
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — decided
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. firm — a company
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — in sport
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. firm — steady
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bass — the fish

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