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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. row — a line
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pop — music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pop — soda
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the sport
  24. row — to paddle

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