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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 120 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a song
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — a container
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. chair — a leader

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