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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. court — for sport
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — of law
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. court — of a king
  24. stock — shares

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