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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chair — a leader
  8. club — for dancing
  9. race — a contest
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — a match
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — humankind
  16. club — for golf
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chip — to eat
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — a thrill

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