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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of a king
  10. ground — crushed
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — a position
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — there
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — the time now
  24. ball — a great time

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