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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a path
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. game — wild animals
  24. track — a song

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