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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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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: bulb · stick · charge · ground · safe · pitcher · key · game

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ground — crushed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. key — the most important part
  23. game — a match
  24. key — for a lock

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