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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — high quality
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. last — to go on
  12. club — a group
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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