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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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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — there
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — in music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — of a river
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — moving air
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — a match
  24. key — for a lock

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