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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: content · pop · stand · game · safe · kid · sharp · shower

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. sharp — clever
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — soda
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. shower — rain
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pop — to visit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kid — to tease
  22. game — wild animals
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. safe — out of danger

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