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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. field — a subject
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. net — for catching
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to sink
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. field — for sport
  24. wind — moving air

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