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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · game · charge · chest · safe · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mark — a trace
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — a price
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — in control
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. charge — electricity
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chest — a box

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