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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. spell — magic
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spell — a short time

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