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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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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: chest · safe · kid · suit · pit · game · toast · rule

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — in a race
  5. toast — bread
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — a law
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. game — wild animals
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — a match

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