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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — for catching
  22. stock — shares
  23. scale — in music
  24. net — after costs

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