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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — to keep track
  12. present — a gift
  13. track — a path
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. pass — a permit
  21. track — a song
  22. cell — a phone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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