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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. field — farmland
  4. roll — a list
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bass — the fish
  8. charge — in control
  9. sharp — clever
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. field — for sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — part of the body

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