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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — high quality
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — the fruit

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