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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. game — wild animals
  6. hand — in cards
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. firm — decided
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hand — help

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