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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · game · deal · pass · safe · root · board · tube

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — a container
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — of a word
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — a match
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — of a plant
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — to get on
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. game — a kind of play

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