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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. court — of law
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — to tease

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