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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. court — for sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — hurry
  23. content — the amount
  24. fork — a garden tool

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