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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — a committee
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — in sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — happy
  13. board — to get on
  14. net — after costs
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — a break

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