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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pop — soda
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — in an idiom

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