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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to click
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of a king
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. safe — out of danger

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