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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. court — of law
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — rain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — in sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. court — of a king
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. net — for catching

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