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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of a king
  5. snap — to click
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fine — a penalty

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