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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: safe · fine · shower · game · row · sharp · mouse · pass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — rain
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a match
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — to wash
  23. game — wild animals
  24. row — a line

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