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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. vault — a safe
  5. root — the cause
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stock — shares
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. net — for catching
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — of a word
  24. net — after costs

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