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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pop — to visit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. pop — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. file — a document

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