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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. object — to protest
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — to go on
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — for light

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