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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: game · safe · object · bulb · mark · face · ground · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — wild animals
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — to point toward
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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