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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: board · rash · present · game · firm · tube · safe · season

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — a company
  3. game — wild animals
  4. tube — the underground
  5. present — there
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — in sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. firm — steady
  15. tube — a container
  16. game — a match
  17. season — of the year
  18. firm — decided
  19. rash — a series
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — in a tire

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