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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 116 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rash — hasty
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. court — for sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — a series
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. court — of a king
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. shower — rain
  24. pop — to visit

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