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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a match
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. court — of law
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — steady
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — a company
  21. bat — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. court — of a king

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