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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — of a king
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. court — for sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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