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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bat — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ground — a position
  24. pound — a weight

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