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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.

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: deal · game · chair · mate · fan · prune · clip · safe

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — to breed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — a video
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. game — a match
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a leader

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