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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — to paddle
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — for dancing
  9. march — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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