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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — an illness
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of a king
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — in cards
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. staff — a stick
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pit — in a race
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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