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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — a company
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — the most important part
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — in music
  14. current — happening now
  15. content — the amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — steady
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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