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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. court — of a king
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — for sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — of law

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