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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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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: deal · safe · present · game · rest · can · tear · pit

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — there
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a match
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tear — from crying

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