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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — all right
  14. court — of a king
  15. field — for sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pop — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — out of danger

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