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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. date — the fruit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — to point toward
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. swing — to play on

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