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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — completely
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — certain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. court — for sport
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fine — all right
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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