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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — the fruit
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tear — to rip
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — bread
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — for betting
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — from crying

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