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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. club — a group
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — goods
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — a soup base

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