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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — in sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — after costs
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — certain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pit — a hole
  24. net — for catching

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