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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a music group
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — to go on
  16. pound — a weight
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — a practice
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. safe — out of danger

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