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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a song
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a cup
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — a trail
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. track — a path
  15. court — for sport
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of a king

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