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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — all right
  6. drill — army training
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — for digging
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — belonging to me

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