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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — a video
  7. stock — shares
  8. ground — a position
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — the earth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ground — crushed
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. clip — for paper
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — to cut
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — for weighing

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