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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mug — a face
  3. last — final
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — bread
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. last — to go on
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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