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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: key · game · ball · safe · stick · chest · bay · fork

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — a match
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a dance
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fork — in a road
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chest — of your body

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