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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: mine · safe · wax · mouse · game · deal · capital · pitch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. capital — money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. game — a match
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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