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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — a subject
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. club — for golf
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — a group
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — for sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — goods
  22. roll — a list
  23. field — farmland
  24. club — for dancing

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