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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — a box
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of a king
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mate — a friend

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