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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — low music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fine — high quality
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — for digging

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