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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 · race · sharp · kid · ground · game · cabinet

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. race — a contest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — crushed
  22. game — a match
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. race — humankind

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