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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: season · deal · straw · ball · safe · pitcher · game · chip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. game — a match
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — wild animals

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