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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.

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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: deal · safe · charge · arm · kid · racket · mine · ball

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — in control
  15. kid — child
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a great time
  20. deal — to handle
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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