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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: season · safe · stick · tear · saw · game · bat · content

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — to rip
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. content — the amount
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — of the year
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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