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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of a king
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. court — of law
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spring — of water
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — for catching
  16. pound — a weight
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — for sport
  24. chair — a professorship

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