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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: safe · present · band · game · bear · current · racket · object

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. game — a match
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — electric
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a ring
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — a gift

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