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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: court · coach · leaves · mate · object · cap · safe · drill

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. object — to protest
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — a thing

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