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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hand — help
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a match
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — in cards
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. club — for golf
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a lid
  21. row — to paddle
  22. club — a group
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — a strongbox

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