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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mine — for digging
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — certain
  22. court — of law
  23. rest — a break
  24. court — of a king

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