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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
468
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: deal · racket · safe · staff · court · ball · scale · jam

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of a king
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. deal — to handle
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — for sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a great time

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