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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — after costs
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. net — for catching
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — letters
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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