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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mate — a partner
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — to breed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — the fruit
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. field — a subject
  16. court — of law
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. court — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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