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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: club · rest · deal · safe · content · squash · nail · track

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. club — for dancing
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — for golf
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — to handle
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. deal — an agreement

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