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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. toast — bread
  7. pop — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. club — a group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — decided
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. file — a document
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — steady
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — a company
  23. hand — in cards
  24. file — a line of people

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