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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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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: pitcher · safe · deal · perch · saw · mark · rest · game

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — wild animals
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — a break
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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