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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. drill — a practice
  13. toast — bread
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bat — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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