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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — to crush
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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