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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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