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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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 law
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — of water
  5. court — of a king
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — certain
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. spring — the season
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — for sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — to protest
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — an aim
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pound — a weight

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