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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. row — a line
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. can — a tin
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — in a computer

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