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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. content — happy
  20. key — the most important part
  21. content — the amount
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fork — in a road

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