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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · safe · can · last · chip · drill · pound · mouse

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. chip — for betting
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. game — a match
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mouse — for a computer

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