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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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