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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — for digging
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. band — a ring
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. nail — for a hammer

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