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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a match
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — letters
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — an explosive

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