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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — ground
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — of a river
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. club — for dancing
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — steady
  10. land — to come down
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. club — a group
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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