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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · safe · cold · bore · fine · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — all right
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — happy
  9. fine — high quality
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cold — not warm
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — gave birth

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