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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — in sport
  4. court — of law
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — in music
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stem — to come from
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. scale — size or range
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — of a plant

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