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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: game · safe · content · cabinet · fine · fork · land · pitcher

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — happy
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. content — the amount

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