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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. club — for dancing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. track — to keep track
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — to wash
  7. club — for golf
  8. toast — bread
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. track — a song
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — a group
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. track — a path

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