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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a match
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — magic
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — of a king
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. stock — goods
  14. firm — a company
  15. rash — a series
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — letters
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — shares
  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