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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. field — for sport
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. shower — rain
  13. field — a subject
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — a match
  24. safe — a strongbox

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