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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — after costs
  9. land — ground
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — to come down
  14. present — there
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — to handle
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — to bear

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