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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. date — the fruit
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — a thing
  5. last — finally
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. band — a ring
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — an aim
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. last — final
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — to protest

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