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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — a short time
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. spell — letters
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — magic
  24. suit — clothes

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