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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. file — a tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — child
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cell — a phone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fine — a penalty

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