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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — in football
  4. land — to come down
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. land — ground
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. file — a document
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — a country
  23. bank — of a river
  24. file — a line of people

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