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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: safe · sharp · ground · game · fine · can · tube · pound

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. game — a match
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — a position
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pound — a weight
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — a container
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — clever

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