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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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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: game · chair · arm · deal · safe · stand · key · mate

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stand — to bear
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — a match
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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