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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — there
  8. land — a country
  9. court — of a king
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — in control
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — for sport
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — for digging
  24. swing — music

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