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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fine — all right
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. swing — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rash — hasty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — a series
  24. swing — to play on

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