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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a hole
  12. shower — rain
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — for sport
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. capital — money
  21. court — of law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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