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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. clip — to cut
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — to be able to
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — a video
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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