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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 120 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: game · ball · safe · ground · cabinet · ruler · season · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — in sport
  8. game — a match
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — of the year
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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