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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — an illness
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. net — for catching
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — a strongbox

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