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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — to rob
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rash — hasty
  13. net — in sport
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — after costs
  16. march — music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — a cup
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — a series
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — the animal
  24. march — the month

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