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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. scale — in music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hand — help
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — for betting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — a signal

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