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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a match
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitch — completely
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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