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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. net — for catching
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — soda
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pop — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. content — happy

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