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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. charge — in control
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. shower — rain
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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