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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — a subject
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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