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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — a grade
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — to handle
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a ring
  18. game — a match
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — to be able to

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