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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. court — of a king
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — the season
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — for sport
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — in a race
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a hole

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