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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — soda
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. shower — rain
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. net — after costs
  18. club — for golf
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — clothes
  22. club — a group
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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