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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — an aim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. capital — money

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