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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — steady
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — of law
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — a company
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — for sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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