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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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