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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. game — a match
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. root — of a word
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chip — for betting

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