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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rock — a stone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. content — happy
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — a coil
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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