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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — in sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. court — of a king
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. court — for sport
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. court — of law
  17. club — for golf
  18. stand — to bear
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — of the year
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — a group

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