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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — to come from
  12. land — to come down
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ground — crushed
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — a match
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ruler — for measuring

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