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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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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: ruler · cabinet · safe · band · field · mouse · jam · court

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — farmland
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of a king
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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