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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — to shout
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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