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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: snap · safe · suit · charge · court · mouse · field · deal

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. court — of a king
  3. field — farmland
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — to fit
  7. snap — to click
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — a subject
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — for sport
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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