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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. chair — a professorship

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