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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
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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: bat · charge · bulb · safe · game · mine · stem · bear

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — for digging
  3. charge — in control
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — a price
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. game — wild animals
  24. safe — a strongbox

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