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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. staff — a stick
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — the month
  6. content — the amount
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — to tease
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — music
  12. content — happy
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — child
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. march — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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