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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. field — farmland
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — of law
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. field — a subject
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — for sport

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