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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 116 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: deal · drill · content · racket · clip · stick · safe · bear

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. deal — to handle
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. clip — for paper
  13. content — happy
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  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