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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 120 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: safe · court · land · press · stand · wave · pit · fork

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — ground
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of law
  14. land — to come down
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. court — of a king
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — on your feet

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