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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. deal — to handle
  6. field — a subject
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. game — a match
  16. kick — in football
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pop — soda
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. field — for sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pop — music

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