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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — all right
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — ground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — of a river
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — a line

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