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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. court — for sport
  4. kid — child
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. court — of law
  12. suit — clothes
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — for pool
  19. court — of a king
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — a football final

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