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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — low music
  13. hand — help
  14. capital — a city
  15. court — of law
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — for sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — part of the body

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