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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a song
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. last — final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — to go on
  18. march — music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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