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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hand — in cards
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — in a road
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a match
  16. hand — help
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. club — a group
  24. land — ground

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