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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — of a king
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. capital — a city
  24. safe — a strongbox

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