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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mug — a face
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — a cup
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. drill — army training
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — for golf
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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