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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. ball — a round shape
  4. club — for golf
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. press — to push
  7. ball — a great time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — a skill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ball — a dance

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