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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of law
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mark — a grade
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mine — for digging
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. safe — out of danger

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