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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. court — of a king
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — humankind
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. capital — a city

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