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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. track — a path
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — a song
  24. cell — a phone

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