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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — all right
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — a list
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — low music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tube — a container
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — in a road
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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