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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — to handle
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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