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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 · pitcher · land · track · rest · deal · suit · charge

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — to handle
  5. track — a song
  6. land — a country
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. charge — in control
  14. track — a path
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — to keep track

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