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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — final
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — all right
  11. date — the fruit
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — finally
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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