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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: bore · bay · track · safe · toast · jam · pop · file

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pop — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. file — a line of people
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. file — a document
  19. pop — to visit
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — bread
  24. bore — to drill

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