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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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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: bay · pitcher · court · rest · jam · stand · safe · cell

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. court — of a king
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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