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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — for sport
  4. season — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — clever
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rest — a break

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