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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — low music
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a committee
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. court — of a king

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