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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: arm · land · rule · sharp · fork · safe · chip · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. land — to come down
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — a country
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — in a road
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rule — a law

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