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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mate — a friend
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. net — for catching
  5. mate — to breed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — a cake
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. net — in sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — a partner
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — for weighing
  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