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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: root · land · shower · safe · game · chip · present · wake

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. land — a country
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — rain
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a plant
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. game — a match
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — to eat
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. land — ground
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — a trail
  21. game — wild animals
  22. root — the cause
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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