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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — a stick
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — in sport
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — the fruit

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