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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: sharp · cold · safe · cell · bear · game · deal · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. deal — a big deal

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