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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. key — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. ball — a great time

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