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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 always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stock — goods
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — low music

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