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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — for paper
  17. game — a match
  18. firm — decided
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. club — a group
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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