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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · kick · safe · press · firm · cabinet

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. press — to push
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — newspapers
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of a king

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