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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — the cause
  14. court — for sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — of a plant
  18. court — of law
  19. root — of a word
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kick — in football

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