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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — a country
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. file — a line of people
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. land — ground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a match
  24. file — a document

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