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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — a container
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — in golf

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