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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 120 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 · stick · fork · mate · mouse · game · cap · safe

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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