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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a match
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. march — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — in golf
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a kind of play

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