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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — in music
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. court — of law
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. court — of a king
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — the tool

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