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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — to drill
  6. court — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. firm — decided
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — in music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pop — music
  17. court — of law
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — a company
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — for weighing

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