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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — a group
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — a hole
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for golf
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. file — a tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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