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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: chip · game · fine · object · land · toast · bound · safe

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — an aim
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — wild animals
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — high quality
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — to come down
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. toast — the most admired

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