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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a match
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — in cards

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