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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — to fit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — a position
  23. pit — in a race
  24. suit — clothes

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