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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · straw · fine · land · safe · pop · court · date

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. pop — soda
  2. court — of a king
  3. land — ground
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. date — the fruit
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. land — a country
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. court — of law
  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