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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — wild animals
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — a company
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — a law
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chair — a professorship

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