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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — a thing
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. object — to protest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. net — for catching
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cold — an illness
  22. net — after costs
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pit — in a race

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