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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. pop — soda
  8. field — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bank — of a river
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — a subject
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. field — farmland
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — a strongbox

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