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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: safe · last · fine · court · track · fall · stand · mate

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — to go on
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a path
  7. last — finally
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of law
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a partner
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. track — a song
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — final
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fall — the season
  24. safe — a strongbox

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